Joseph Highmore
(1692-1780), PainterArtist associated with 54 portraits
Joseph Highmore trained initially as a lawyer, however he was determined to pursue a career as an artist. He attended classes in Sir Godfrey Kneller's academy and in 1715 he established a portrait-painting practice. In his early work, Highmore adapted Kneller's style of portraiture. His later style was influenced by French Rococo artists, such as Philippe Mercier and Hubert Gravelot, who were established in London during the 1730s and 1740s.
by John Faber Jr, after Joseph Highmore
mezzotint, published 1748
NPG D19177
by James Macardell, after Joseph Highmore
mezzotint, (1750)
NPG D39725
by Charles Grignion, after Joseph Highmore
line engraving, (circa 1750)
NPG D13847
by James Macardell, after Joseph Highmore
mezzotint, (1750)
NPG D20083
Samuel Richardson or possibly Zachary Hamlyn
by James Macardell, after Joseph Highmore
mezzotint, 1752
NPG D39726
by Richard Houston, after Joseph Highmore
mezzotint, published 1774
NPG D32278
by Richard Houston, after Joseph Highmore
mezzotint, published 1774
NPG D897
by Richard Houston, after Joseph Highmore
mezzotint, published 1774
NPG D898
by Richard Houston, after Joseph Highmore
mezzotint, published 1774
NPG D899
by Robert Grave, after Joseph Highmore
line engraving, published 1819
NPG D27601
William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
by and published by John Smith, after Joseph Highmore
mezzotint, 1729
NPG D19489
by John Faber Jr, after Joseph Highmore
mezzotint, 1748
NPG D5518
by John Faber Jr, after Joseph Highmore
mezzotint, 1748
NPG D5520
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Mr.E.P.Daly
08 November 2017, 13:32
Joseph Highmore was a Governor of The Foundling Hospital which was established in 1738, but only opening to take children in by 1741 in Hatton Garden,in London. He would have been fully aware, being a founding director, of Lord Mansfield and Allan Ramsay, both involved with the hospital from the start. Later would join 7th Viscount Stormont, nephew of Lord Mansfield to further advance the hospital. Mansfield, Ramsay and Stormont were all relatives of Dido Elizabeth Belle, whom if her father Sir John Lindsay KB, Prince of Arcot had not wanted to raise her, would probably ended up in the Foundling Hospital due to Lord Mansfield's influence.It's possible Joseph Highmore may have been aware of Dido through Lord Mansfield as the Mansfields lived not far away at 57 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the 1740's-to early 1770's.
Ford Curran
14 November 2019, 18:55
Every morning for more than 13 years, a painted portrait of an 18th Century lord greeted me at my office and challenged me to remember my security code. His smug face has remained nameless, as nobody at the University ever knew anything about the painting or its provenance.
One day, while reading a periodical (The Irish Emigrant Newspaper), I happened upon a photograph of Christy Burke, a modern-day Lord Mayor, in a contemporary suit, wearing an almost-identical chain. Bingo.
After years of casual searching of portraits of Lord Mayors past, I have identified our painting:
Portrait Of Sir John Barnard (1685-1764) by Joseph Highmore.
Likely a study for the official full portrait that hangs in the Guildhall Art Gallery in London.
My guess is that the University has owned it since its beginning in 1839.
A grandson of the artist was Arthur Highmore Junior, who was part of the Abolitionist Movement. BU's founders were also Abolitionists, perhaps the painting came to BU through a relationship then and there.